Texas A&M gets shut down by Clemson

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CLEMSON, S.C. – For all their bravado in the past week in boasting they were ready to go toe-to-toe with a national champion, the bashful Aggies tiptoed and finally flat stumbled on the big stage on Saturday.

No. 1 Clemson muzzled No. 12 Texas A&M 24-10 before a packed house in Memorial Stadium, in stamping out any early notions of an Aggies upset. A&M scored its lone touchdown with six seconds remaining.

A&M led 3-0 early in the second quarter, but that brief deficit only seemed to anger the Tigers (2-0). Led by Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Clemson scored 17 second-quarter points en route to the two-touchdown victory.

A year ago Clemson led by double-digits at halftime, before edging the Aggies 28-26 at Kyle Field.

"We didn't play very good in the second half against them last year, so we have an opportunity to see if we can get better," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told ABC-TV at halftime on Saturday.

Texas A&M's Kendrick Rogers, top, is tackled by Clemson's Derion Kendrick (1) and Nolan Turner during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

Texas A&M's Kendrick Rogers, top, is tackled by Clemson's Derion Kendrick (1) and Nolan Turner during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

Mond appeared to finally get his feet under him early in the fourth quarter, but then threw an interception on a lob pass – one that wasn't really intended to be a lob – in the end zone to squash any late Aggie hopes.

A&M, too, failed to backup usually-reserved offensive lineman Jared Hocker's brag on Monday that the Aggies would pull an upset on the road on Saturday.

The Aggies (1-1) return home on Saturday for a likely breather against Lamar of the Southland Conference, before opening SEC play against Auburn on Sept. 21 at Kyle Field.